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Bruce Brown film kick off charity screenings

Surf History

Slippery When Wet and others to screen at Museum of British Surfing

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 6 June, 2013 : - - As part of the Museum of British Surfing’s current exhibition Sixties Surfer! we have been given special permission to screen Bruce Brown’s iconic surfing films – creating our very own ‘endless summer’ of 1960s stoke! The series will start with his epic first movie ‘Slippery When Wet’.

We’re delighted to bring you this summer line-up of classic surfing films from the era when modern surfing culture first began, with generous support from Tiki – who are celebrating their own 50th anniversary in surfing this year!

Advance tickets only are now on sale priced £5, direct from the Museum of British Surfing in Braunton – or you can email us for details of how to pay online. The charity fundraising night is at Croyde Village Hall on Thursday June 20 and starts at 8pm.

Alongside the main film, we also have an exclusive showing of rare footage shot in Britain in the 1960s, and if all goes to plan, a preview of previously unseen footage shot by Tiki’s Tim Heyland while travelling in the 1960s.

‘Slippery When Wet’ is Bruce Brown’s first film. In 1958 he was working as a lifeguard by day & cleaning Dale Velzy’s surfboard shop by night. Velzy recognised Bruce’s talents and put up $5,000 to have him make a film that would promote the shop’s surf team.

“That covered the cost of the camera, travel and a year’s living expenses,” says Brown. He returned from Hawaii with hours of footage that resulted in this film – narrated by the filmmaker and with an offbeat Bud Shank soundtrack.

The film is the story of five surfers on their dream trip to Hawaii, spending an entire winter living and surfing on the North Shore of Oahu. “We’re grateful to Bruce Brown and his team in California and their UK distributors for giving us this wonderful opportunity to show this fabulous series of films that really capture the true birth of modern surfing culture,” said founder Peter Robinson. “Big thanks also to Tiki here in North Devon for supporting this film series, in this their anniversary year.”

Future dates in the Bruce Brown film season, which will include the iconic 1964 release The Endless Summer, are: July 18th, August 22nd and September 19th.

We will also soon have his films available as a special box set available to buy at the museum shop and at the events.